"What is it that has you working so hard for a job you seem to hate?" I asked a coaching client.
The answer? "I need the money."
"Ah," I replied. "It's Belly Food. So what do you do that feeds your soul?"
Lately I've been thinking a lot about Belly Food and Soul Food. Yes, we all gotta eat. There's no question that most of us need to perform some tasks that don't feed our souls to be sure we have food on the table and a roof over our heads. I call that work Belly Food.
But there's likely another hunger you feel but don't feed. The thing that feeds this hunger is Soul Food. Now I'm not talking about Southern cuisine, although that's tasty too. I'm talking about activities that fuel your soul.
There are so many of us who forget to nourish our souls. Instead of satiating this very human hunger, we mask it with alcohol, drugs, television, shopping or a number of other fillers that trick us into feeling complete. But no matter how much noise we add we can't seem to get away from the incessant chirping of the soul's call.
A couple of months ago, after realizing I wasn't adequately feeding my soul, I separated my white board into two sections: Belly Food and Soul Food. I was surprised to notice that my Belly Food section was written in black marker with tidy handwriting and my Soul Food section was electric with bright colors and energized script.
The Belly Food felt grounded, realistic and centered while the Soul Food was airy, bold and free. I took comfort in the tasks that would feed my belly and was thrilled by the actions that would feed my soul. I struck a deal with myself that every day I would do something to satisfy each hunger. Some days it might be 40% belly 60% soul. Some it might be 95% belly, 5% soul.
Perhaps this concept will be helpful to you as you balance the realities of life with the call of the spirit.
What's Satisfying my Soul's Craving?
Last week we announced that we'll launch UNITY on June 2nd. UNITY is an interactive public art project that aims to counter the tone of the national political conversation. An activity for all ages, UNITY explores what makes us the same and what makes us different, celebrating the uniqueness of all individuals and honoring their place in our country's fabric. Learn how to participate and sign up to volunteer at www.unityproject.net.
What's your soul food? Inspire others and share your findings below.